Moncton Blogs to Follow

Ten years ago when I was moving to Moncton from Toronto, I looked online for inspiration about my soon-to-be home. There was little in the way of an online community then, basically just a few political blogs and a couple of real estate agents who were using the medium. Lifestyle and niche bloggers (if active) were private, not showing up in online searches. There were a few websites with information about the city and life in the area, but not what I was looking for.

I jumped in, writing a few posts hosted in ‘community blog’ section of the newspaper’s website and creating a blog to share the creation of my wedding bouquet. (I also found a tight-knit group of folks cultivating a local community on Twitter, and I’m thrilled to still call many of those folks I ‘met’ online first friends. One even presided over our wedding.) I didn’t keep it up, as I was focused on other things, but I kept looking for blogs to read.

Five years ago, not much had really changed. I would surf enviously through the online journals of folks in Saint John and Halifax, wishing for similar local inspiration. Two years ago, I jumped in again, creating Pickle Planet Moncton to give parents a one-stop shop for local information, and a place to share our journeys.

And all of sudden, things have started to get busy! Over the past year, more and more local blogs have filtered into my life and I’m so happy to see our community reflected in this way.

I thought I’d share some of these blogs with you, in case you’re searching, too! (And for anyone else counting local bloggers, there are certainly more than a dozen of us now – and our numbers are growing! If you’re writing or thinking about it, feel free to reach out; a few of us like to get together once a month or so and chat, and some of us are teamed up with a larger group of East Coasters who are working to build the industry side of our sites.)

Here are 16 sites I love to visit, in no particular order. How many have you visited before today?

I met Laura earlier this year when we were both guest speakers at a luncheon sharing summer adventure ideas. Her blog is a showcase for New Brunswick’s natural beauty and filled with hidden gems you aren’t likely to see on a tourism brochure.

Ken Kelly is a great musician (the Monoxides!) and writer (just won an Atlantic Journalism Award!), and combines these talents perfectly. You’ll find a bit of just about every genre covered on his blog.

Looking for a hint of the old-fashioned mixed into your online reading? Natalie is working hard to remind us all to keep writing letters and sending cards in the mail. She also lets loose with a rant or two at times – and I love it!

Ruth Ann was the first person to reach out to me about building our blogging community in Moncton. She’s known to many as the Coupon Lady, but her site is much more than just deals. Check her out for frugal living tips, meal plan and prep ideas, adventures with kids, and more.

Carl Bainbridge shares tips and insights for all families, with a window into the world of autism. Another of the tried and true old guard, the Bainbridge family has been sharing their perspective for almost a decade.

I kind of hear myself when I read Graeme Decarie’s blog. Not that I necessarily share the same opinions as Mr. Decarie (who was born here in 1933), but the way he spits out random criticism and thoughts on media coverage of the day is exactly what I imagine my husband hears when I try to consume news. Once a newshound, always a newshound. (Disclaimer: I don’t always apply my same journalistic standards to this site as I expect my former colleagues to uphold – or that I practice when I occasionally reenter the newsroom. It’s one of the perks of blogging for yourself.)

Bob’s Room has been a spot on the ‘net for a long time, at least as long as I’ve been searching for Moncton blogs. It’s a fabulous retreat to what I consider the olden days of the world wide web, snippets of a life with lots of indie music references, tech savvy speak, and just a fun rabbit hole to dive into.